STUDY XÎI. 93 



Whatever be the diforders of Society, this celef- 

 tial inflind is ever amnfing itfelf with the children 

 of men. It infpires the man of genius, by dif- 

 clofing itfelf to him under eternal attributes. It 

 prefents to the Geometrician, the inefïlible pro- 

 greffions of infinity; to the Mufîcian, rapturous 

 harmonies ; to the Hiftorian, the immortal Hiades 



cur paffions, or of our inftitiitions, which pervert the Laws of 

 Nature, it prefles upon our miferies themfelves. Thus, for ex- 

 ample, when after having given mechanical Laws to the opera- 

 tions of the foul, we come to make the fentiment of infinity to 

 bear upon our phyfical and tranfient evils; in this cafe, by a 

 jufl" re-adion, our mifery becomes infupportable. I have pre- 

 fented only a faint fketch of the two principles in Man ; but to 

 whatever fenfation of pain, or of pleafure, they may be applied, 

 the difference of their nature, and their perpetual re-aclion, will 

 be felt.. 



On tbe fiibje<fl of Alexander forfaken of the Gods, it is matter 

 of furprize to me, that the expreffion of this fituation fliould not 

 ha^e infpired the genius of fome Grecian Artift. Here is what 

 I find on this fubjeft in Addifon : " There is in the fame gallery, 

 " (at Florence) a fine buft of Alexander the Great, with the face 

 " turned toward Heaven, and imprefied with a certain dignified 

 " air of chagrin and diflatisfaélion, I have feen two or three 

 " ancient bufts of Alexander, with the fame air, and in the fame 

 "attitude; and I am difpofed to believe, that the Sculptor pur- 

 *' fued the idea of the Conqueror fighing after new worlds, or 

 *' fome fimilar circumftance of his Hiftory." {Addifon'^ Voyage 

 to Italy.) I imagine that the circumftance oî Alexander''^ Hif- 

 torj'^, to which thofe bufi:s ought to be referred, is that which rc- 

 prefents him complaining of being abandoned of the Gods. I 

 have no doubt that it would have fixed the exquifite judgment of 

 Addi/on, had he recollected the obfervation made by Plutarch. 



of 



